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Emery threw Willock in the deep end playing him as a number 10. Don’t think he’s ready for the 10 and should start CM where he looked good over preseason.

Don’t like the Guendouzi and Xhaka partnership. It’s to defensive/sideways and we struggle offensively with this pairing. Would prefer a Guendouzi & Willock/Cellabos pairing.

People writing Nelson/Willock off after one game. Sort your life out, they are teenagers getting their first start and will need time to adjust and get comfortable.

Chambers looked impressive and composed. Hope he’s given a chance to prove himself.

Cellabos and Pepe nice introduction. Didn’t get to involved and Cellabos turned it over but they needed to feel out the PL. He realised early on this ain’t La Liga and those tricks won’t cut it in England. But both will be better for the experience

I thought Willock was one of our better players, looked strong and willing. Overall a happy gooner, 3 points was the objective and we achieved that. Need another 3 next week against Burnley before the trip to Anfield! Torreira is a must there in my opinion. Good night gunners

As a follow up to the interviews given by UE after the match, he was asked about the Ozil – Kolasinac situation – here is his quoted reply:

“The club is managing the circumstances.
We want to be with them as soon as possible and with normality in training and normality to be ready to play.
I don’t know if they will play next week”.

So, it looks as if the club are waiting for the situation to be resolved and getting ready for both men to play again.

Perhaps, in Ozil’s case and if the rumours are true about the USA, his agent is starting negotiations for when his contract runs out – it certainly looks as if both are still part of UE’s plans for this season…as UE has said many times of course.

Anyway, just thought it was worthwhile to keep up with all the quotes from the club / coach.

Why would we want Ozil to go to the US in January. Emery will use him intelligently and he will produce against certain teams. Trim the wage bill, already begun with jenko, cech, rambo going. Hopefully a team comes in for Mustafi and Elneny, but keep Mesut this season as if we get on a run he will be masterful at home against the weaker teams. Best wishes Paul

And as we all know Ken ANYTHING said for public consumption MUST ALWAYS be taken at face value. IF, unlike me, you are naive! Could it not be, instead, that UE is merely trying to defuse the OZIL SITUATION IN PUBLIC, whilst behind the scenes the regime above him do their level best to move him on, before the foreign window shuts? As a worldly wise, hard bitten, old cynic and a realist I have not, in recent decades at least, gone in for naivety, as some choose to do!
It wryly amuses me how often you quote people inside the game and take for granted that they tell the truth all the time. IF ONLY!
I do not think the club will now succeed however but that is a separate matter.

Jonn, yes of course it could be the way you want to see it…it could also be the way that The Arsenal are reporting it via Unai Emery, surely you wanted to read that official quote from the club?

As another old cynic, I took the same view with adminMartins take on the police investigation and how that might influence any situation…you know, the one that you held in high esteem?

As I have said before Jon, I would rather quote people inside the game who just might know something, rather than the views of people such as you and I, who just guess!!

I know you don’t believe in quotes from people within the game, because they very rarely agree with your views…I find that mildly amusing also!!!

Being worldly wise can sometimes make such individuals ignore or belittle others opinions…whist not knowing anything about that individuals life experiences, don’t you agree?
I’m absolutely certain that there are fans on here who have experienced so many things that you and I certainly haven’t.

Ken, A literary reviewer might well look at our written, though in reality verbal “battles,” and conclude that we are like two old stags still fighting to be the herd leader. I don’t personally see it quite that way but in my few rational and sagacious moments, once the heat of word “battle” subsides, I do occasionally reflect on why at our age we still do this. All I can come up with Ken is that it is possible to be both worldly wise AND foolish. I speak only for myself, at least in the latter word of that last sentence. I remain in deep respect of your human qualities and just wanted you to know that. Compared to those important things, why on Earth do people as long in the tooth as we both are think mere football talk is that important? You recently said your wife thinks you are obsessed with this site. I had to chuckle with the thought that my Sue thinks precisely the same about me. Something we have in common, at last perhaps! In truth, we have a great deal of vitally important hings in common and in common with almost the entire global army of Gooners too and that is a huge relief, when I sit and think deeply, in my few rational moments. I suppose what I am trying to do, in my typically long winded way, is to apologise for my “Lord Jon” style! Will I ever change though, at my time of life? I think we both know the HONEST answer to that one!

Newcastle also had a few players, who met each other for the first time when they shook hands in the dressing room. I wouldn’t be so sure that they won’t improve during the season and take points off a lot of teams.
Let’s face it the weather conditions were not conducive to intricate passing and free flowing football.
Yes, Arsenal can do it, on a wet cold day in Newcastle.

I know we would all like to see the back zhaka. Myself included. I however do not know who in this side can pass from deep and split an opposition defence. I don’t believe our current midfielders beside zhaka have that range. It’s a conundrum, and possibly the reason why Luis purchased…. Thoughts??

RSH absolutely winning is what matter however it get to a point when more than winning is required. We have more talent than we shown apparently. What is it with sideways passing and backwards passing. Emery should unleash our attacking potential and it should be told you can win only with scoring goals. A better team would have cost us problems. The way forward is goals, goals and goals. Liverpool did, city did and manu city did

Mobella, please take a look at the calibre of the players on the Arsenal bench. Also take into account the weather and pitch conditions, which were not conducive to intricate passing and free flowing football.
The conditions under which Manchester City, United and Liverpool played under were nowhere near as bad.

Stupid comment!the players you mentioned played full games, Pepe, ceballos had about 30 minutes in bad weather conditions how can you compare them?they also more times to train, prepare with their teams!sorry but your comment shows a lack over knowledge and understanding of the game!

I hope all the new boys will play next week apart from Tierney of course. After seeing the massive impact Maguire and Wan Bissaka had at OT yesterday, I can’t help but feel jealous. I just hope our new boys will have the same huge impact as well. As it stands I think Man utd will be a problem, both in the league and Europa.

Hopefully then the team can play with more fluidity, aggression and speed. Notice how every time city and pool get the ball they’re close to scoring, I want us to get to that level. Arsenal had that once btw.

Agree. Midfield’s passing ability is still limited at Arsenal and i think this is the main problem. It’s either uninventive and slow, or simply sloppy. Ceballos himself was sloppy today but have high hopes he will be best passer at the club soon.

I guess you didn’t watch Rodri from city,he misplaced passes,lost numerous balls in the city defence,he 6,3,he also slow and got depossosed s good few times, made fouls, can’t you see the similarities with all the new players coming to the EPL? ESPECIALLY SPANISH players!

I am sick trying to educate “fans”like you,he was injured against Barca,he just arrived with to a new league, country,teammates had barely time to train with his new teammates,learning english,settling in London with his family,not fully fit,he has to learn the different ways we played it takes time,he needs to be introduced slowly same with Pepe,how can you call Pepe a flop after a 30 minutes cameo,this guy will make you eat your words and I’ll be there to remind you!

Chelsea did fantastic in the first leg. Chelsea were very unlucky not to get a couples of goals. Chelsea were dominating .If Chelsea had scored it would probably have been a different game. In the second leg Man U were dominating and showed how good they are in counter-attacks.
I was a bit worried about the speed in that game. Can Arsenal cope with that? Time will tell.

Anti keV if you think ceballos is slow you haven’t seen Rodri a 6″3 spanish middfilder bought by city for over 60M,on his first games he was,slow,lost numerous balls in city box but also in middfied,he was also slow made loads of fouls,lost a lot duals…his price over 60M,like every foreign players they need time to settle their personnel lives,learn English,need more time to know his teammates, the way they play différents formations….physycality of the Pl,the guy lost his duals against much smaller players and he had more time than ceballos with his team and played the entire game the guy had a bad game;

Willock wasn’t played in no10 to be a playmaker, he’d try to do his bit alright but he was there to help press the opposition and to aid in the midfield battle. I thought he done well on that front. I saw it more as a 433 with wide players covering when they have ball and Willock more advanced than the other two CM when we were going forward. Similar to how Ramsey started last season, Ramsey took a while before he got a grip on things, it wasn’t Ramsey’s best position either.

Emery made some big calls all the same, if it hadn’t of worked out I can only imagine how the fans might have reacted.

Did seem a bit risky, but the main thing is we came away with a win,we would have got less last season,the younger players aquitted themselves quite well and i was pretty impressed with Chambers, calm and composed didn’t do much wrong,and would have got my man of the match but for Auba’s work rate and calm finish,all in all pleased with the result but a bit puzzled with some selections.

Anti keV if you think ceballos is slow you haven’t seen Rodri a 6″3 spanish middfilder bought by city for over 60M,on his first games he was,slow,lost numerous balls in city box but also in middfied,he was also slow made loads of fouls,lost a lot duals…his price over 60M,like every foreign players they need time to settle their personnel lives,learn English,need more time to know his teammates, the way they play différents formations….physycality of the Pl,the guy lost his duals against much smaller players and he had more time than ceballos with his team and played the entire game the guy had a bad game;

Emery’s english might be a working progress but at least he’s making an effort, Pocc has Southampton didn’t speak a word of english for 2 years then same thing when he went to suprs for 2 years same thing and ha always had a translated, after close to 10 years in England his english is not much better then Emery,s,as a teenager I was recruited by a British catering agency from France to come to work as a chef in some of ‘London best restaurants, after 2 years I was fluent in English already,Pocc english at the moment is not what I would cal fluent,do you agree??

Tissiam, I am always disgusted by people criticising others for their lack of English skills, when they themselves can only communicate in one language.
I have a Dutch civil engineering friend, who speaks fluent Dutch, English, German and French (even technical French to work on high speed rail). I am in awe!